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The Ups and Downs of Ford Motor Company

Ford (NYSE: F) reported earnings today, and shares remained about even on the news. The company delivered its 18th-consecutive profitable quarter, and its fifth-consecutive quarter of top line growth. Top-line growth is an important indicator to look for as a sign of the overall economic climate, to know whether or not consumers are spending, so growth here is a good sign.

In this video, Motley Fool analyst Jason Moser takes a look at Ford's level of success in the U.S. and in various markets around the world. Despite the European market still dragging, Ford is strong today both in the U.S. and in the China-Asia Pacific-Africa markets. Jason attributes much of this strength to the company's restructured model, One Ford, conceived by CEO Alan Mulally.

It isn't all sunshine for the company, though. Jason sees the European sector of the business continuing to drag for an extended period, and he sees competitive pricing and shifts in the auto market overall as putting pressure on Ford this year. He sees limited if not flat top-line growth in the year ahead, as well as compressing margins. He also says that while the company is a strong holding if it's already in an investor's portfolio, the high costs of operating in this industry mean he isn't a buyer today.

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